


She's a Queen Selling Dreams

by Conncanwritemaybe



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Awkward Romance, Edelgard von Hresvelg Needs a Hug, Eventual Romance, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Gay Edelgard von Hresvelg, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:26:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29250672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Conncanwritemaybe/pseuds/Conncanwritemaybe
Summary: Edelgard was sleep deprived and really burned out and also had an assignment due in an hour. She ran to a nearby coffee shop in order to get heavily caffeinated and finish her assignment, but when she meets Dorothea working as a barista she might have a chance to reinvigorate her life and maybe kiss a cute girl or something.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Edelgard von Hresvelg
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

Edie didn’t enjoy crowds. They always felt suffocating to her. Honestly so did any kind of cramped space. They just weren’t something she could handle. That was normally ok though. For the most part she had gotten quite good at avoiding them. Today was unfortunate though. She had barely slept a wink - again, and then when she woke up she realised there was no food in her apartment. This should have occurred to her last night, but the last time she had had the energy to even open a cupboard in the evening was well over a week ago. Ubereats was awful and exploitative but had also saved her life on several occasions. Anyway she needed to grab something for breakfast, and finish off her write up for class - another thing she had completely forgotten about, so she was rushing to literally anywhere with food and seating that she could panic through the rest of this paper. As she speedwalked through the streets she saw a small café in the distance at the corner of the street. _Casagranda’s_ was written in gold on the blue walls of the building. Edie prayed that it would be quiet and practically sprinted towards the coffee shop, just wanting to escape the crowded morning streets. She was completely breathless by the time that she was opening the door of the building and stepping in. 

The interior was small, maybe six tables and some stools next to the counter, as well as a small stage in the far corner. It was well lit, which Edie appreciated, and the walls were the same baby blue as the exterior. Unfortunately all the tables had already been taken, this place seemed more popular then Edie was expecting, but she was able to grab one of the stools. From behind the counter a tall brown haired girl in a pink beret approached her.

“Hey there! Can I get you anything?” The girl gave Edie a warm smile that for some reason immediately made Edie feel self conscious about the dark circles that had been forming under her eyes for the entire semester, and her hair was a mess and ugh anyway she looked terrible but also needed to order already.

“Oh em can I please have two espressos, a chocolate muffin and a latte please.” Had she just said please twice? The barista definitely thought she was just the worst now if she hadn’t already.

“Of course. Expecting company?” The girl asked her while she began preparing the drinks.

“No, I’m just very - I didn’t really sleep much. Or at all. Maybe a little. It doesn’t matter I’m going in circles anyway.” Edie grew even more flustered as the girl made small talk with her, she didn’t know how it came so naturally to some people.

“Oh I hope you’re ok. Here’s your latte, I’ll get the rest for you in just a second. Oh actually I recognise you from somewhere, hmm where could it be. Do you do intro to sociology too? Or am I imagining things.”

“Oh em yeah I do. That must be it. Oh thanks for reminding me I need to get that paper done god I’m really frazzled this morning.” Edie reached into her bag to get her laptop but found her bag empty. “Fuck fuck fuck oh god oh no fuck.” Her hands started shaking, This was really bad, she really couldn’t afford to not hand in another assignment. 

The barista leaned over to her, putting her hand on Edie’s shoulder. “Hey are you ok? What happened?”

“I panicked this morning and must have left my laptop at home and now I’m going to fail the class.” Edie was using all of her power to avoid crying, she was not going to cry in public. She was Edelgard Von Hresvelg, that was simply not an option for her.

The barista gave Edie a reassuring smile. “Hey you wait here for a second ok?” The girl said. She looked over to other queueing customers, yelled sorry and ran to a back room. She came back out moments later with a battered HP laptop. 

“Here, use mine. You should be able to sign in.”

“Oh.” Edelgard was at a loss for words. “Thank you so much.” She choked out, it was all she could manage for the moment.

“Of course. Now I’ll just take these customers orders and be back to you in two shakes of a lamb's tail.” The barista gave Edie another one of those warm smiles that made her feel deeply insecure and walked away to the small queue of customers. 

Edie opened up the laptop and powered it on. The girl’s lock screen, seemingly a cast poster from Mamma Mia, was displayed along with the words ‘Dorothea’s PC’. There was no password so Edie was able to get in and signed into onedrive, and started typing furiously. She did not know how long she spent frantically writing, oblivious to her surroundings, aside from of course the surroundings that were food or coffee. When she finally looked away she saw the pretty barista staring down at her. Edie stared back at the girl. The two of them simply looked at one another for, well she honestly had no idea how long. 

“Like what you see?” The girl winked at Edie, causing her to look away. “I’m Dorothea by the way. How is the writing going?”

“Oh right, I’m Edie. Sorry I didn’t introduce myself until now. I’m pretty much finished now. It really isn’t good enough but it’s done and I can hand it in on time.” She really wasn’t even slightly happy with her work, it had been weeks since she had handed in something that met her standards.

“Well it’s done, that’s what counts. Just doing what you can is fine.” Dorothea tried to reassure Edelgard and though she appreciated that she was trying, she didn’t really feel much better about what she had written. 

“Yeah, I’ll just submit it now and then you can have your laptop back.” Edie said then looked back at the screen before the barista could respond. Dorothea stayed where she was for maybe thirty seconds then went back to serving customers. 

Once she had submitted her assignment Edie closed the laptop and took out her journal. She had some time before she would have to go to her class and figured that she could at least do something with the time she had. She wrote out some goals for this week. Nothing extravagant, mostly just sleeping better and catching up on the few hundred pages of readings she had fallen behind on over the semester. She thought about putting something else down, she had been wanting to socialise more but she never had the time and she didn’t know how she was going to make it now. It didn’t matter. She would get to it. She was, as she had to keep reminding herself, Edelgard Von Hresvelg. Failure could never be an option.

“Hey, wanna walk to class together?” She heard Dorothea’s voice and it brought her out of her spiral. 

“Oh fuck what time is it? Also yes that sounds nice thank you yes.”

Dorothea giggled. “We have like twenty minutes. I just need to go back and get changed. Meet me outside in five?” 

Edelgard smiled. Her smile wasn’t nearly as nice as Dorothea’s. But she was happy so it was ok for her to smile. “See you then.” She held out Dorothea’s laptop to her.

“Thanks!” Dorothea grabbed it and ran through the door behind the counter. Edie watched her go, then gulped down the last few drops of her latte. She packed up her bag then left the coffee shop, waiting by the door for Dorothea. After a few minutes she felt a tap on her shoulder. 

“Hey Edie!” She turned around. Dorothea had changed into a light blue cardigan and black jeans, while still wearing the same beret she had had on in the café. 

“Hey. Ready to move?” Edie asked. Dorothea nodded and the two of them began walking towards their university. The streets were still more packed than she would like, but Edie felt far less overwhelmed than she had earlier in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first chapter and there will be more but I don't know how to say there will be multiple chapters cause I am bad at computers and can't find the button but there will be more they might flirt or even hold hands and there might be Dorte the horse and he will get pets cause he's a good horse. I figured it out actually but yes I'm gonna leave this here so you all get excited for Dorte.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edelgard and Dorothea go to class. Ferdinand annoys them.

"So Edie, are you going to major in sociology?" Dorothea was ceaselessly attempting to get to know Edie, it was extremely intimidating. It was nice that she was helping to carry the conversation but fuck, Edie was out of practice when it came to communicating with people. She had basically only spoken to Hubert this year when she didn’t have to talk to someone else for class or something. 

“I plan to double major in sociology and politics. You?” 

“Fuck that sounds hard. I’m majoring in music, I just needed the credits so I’m doing sociology this year.”

“Music sounds really nice. Do you play any instruments?” She could play music too? Edie’s sense of inferiority grew even larger. Dorothea grew excited at the change in topic and went the fuck off.

“So I’ve been playing piano since I was like ten, my mom was an opera singer and any daughter of hers had to learn to play something. But I also play guitar now, ukulele, I’ve dabbled in the cello, I also sing but I’m nowhere near as good as my mom.”

“Wow. That is a lot. I can see why you decided to pick music.” Dorothea laughed at this. 

“Yeah it just made sense. I’m not really able to do much else, I don’t know how I’ll get any kind of job out of it but well the world will probably end in the next twenty years so I’m not sure it matters.”

Edie laughed. “That’s the spirit.” Dorothea beamed at her. The two of them continued to walk towards college, making easier conversation than Edie could have expected.

As they arrived at the campus Edie felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She pulled it out, scanned the message, and turned to Dorothea. Hey my friend from high school texted asking if I wanted to meet up for a few minutes before class, wanna come with?”

“Oh meeting your friends already huh? You move fast. Of course I’ll come.” 

Edie blushed and stammered something indecipherable. Dorothea giggled. “Don’t mind me I’m just teasing. Sorry.”

“It’s totally fine. I was just em surprised.”

“Understandable, I’ll warn you next time I’m about to flirt with you.”

“Yes thank you.” Edelgard replied before immediately wondering why she had decided that that was a good reply of all things. Honestly she was ridiculous.

“Edelgard, you seem flustered. Is this stranger bothering you?” She heard Huberts' voice from behind them. She had never understood how he managed to come out of nowhere like this. 

“No not at all. She’s em a friend?” Were they friends? They had only met this morning and the girl probably hated her actually.

“Yeah we’re friends. I’m Dorothea. It’s nice to meet you.” Dorothea looked towards Hubert, managing to somehow seem unoffended by her introduction to Hubert.

“Hubert.” Hubert replied. 

“And I” Another voice called out as a new figure approached. “Am Ferdinand Von Aegir, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

For fuck sake it was Ferdinand. Seeing less of Ferdinand was probably the best thing about college but he was sadly not completely avoidable.

“Ah. Hello Ferdinand Von Aegir. Do you know Edie too?”

Ferdinand grinned at her. “Why yes. I was her primary academic rival in high school. That rivalry has long since ended, I have demonstrated my clear superiority to Edie in just about every regard.”

Dorothea nodded. “Good for you.”

Ferdinand continued trying to impress Dorothea for several minutes, to which she showed absolutely no interest. She just nodded along, letting him monologue about scholarly achievements and sports trophies and how luxurious his hair was and how much better it was than Edie’s as she could not even be bothered to brush hers. Which was rude. Dorothea seemed to be starting to make some effort to defend her but was immediately cut off for some story about Ferdinand hitting a home run, or as he insisted on calling it, a  _ Ferdinand Von Flier.  _ The whole situation was rather unfortunate.

“Hey Edie we should get to class.” Dorothea eventually cut off Ferdinand and looked towards Edie, who agreed that they should leave if they didn’t want to be late. 

Dorothea smiled. “Alright let’s go. We’ll see you two around.” She spoke for the two of them, seeming to sense that Edie was growing uncomfortable with the situation and wanted an escape. Considering how Ferdinand was Dorothea probably was happy to have an escape too.

“Em sorry about those two. Hubert can be really nice, he’s just been protective ever since we were kids. Long story not important. And Ferdinand… well you’ve seen what he’s like I can’t really justify that, he’s quite annoying.”

Dorothea laughed at her. “Edie you really don’t need to apologize. Hubert was just a little intimidating and then yes Ferdinand seems very... confident. Was he actually ever your rival?”

Edie shrugged. “He seemed to think so. I mostly did my own thing and he convinced himself that he should try prove that he could do better than me.”

“So… were his grades ever Ferdinand Von Higher?” Dorothea winked as she asked this. Edie flipped her off and rolled her eyes. Dorothea giggled at this.

“Sorry, I’m sure he subjected you to jokes like that countless times.”

Edie nodded. “I heard that exact joke at least once a month.”

“That must have been deeply traumatic, I’m sorry that I made you relive that.”

“Oh it was. Every time I go to therapy it starts out with a further attempt to process Ferdinand Von Higher, to this day I have made very limited progress.”

“You’ll get there Edie you seem very strong.”

Edelgard tried to come up with a cool funny joke to continue this endless riffing but before she could their lecturer came in, ending the conversation as they were reluctantly forced to try and be competent students. Edelgard did her best, taking around 10 pages in notes, but she really had no idea if any of it was any good. She could easily be taking 10 pages of irrelevant nonsense. She didn’t know? She’d ask Dorothea for help but she’d probably resent having to waste her time on helping her. Edie had already accepted far too much help from Dorothea for a lifetime. She couldn’t expect more. She had to be able to rely on herself.

“Hey so I have to head straight to music but em are you free tomorrow morning? I’m working but if you’re not busy I’ll buy you three coffees if you come into the shop in the morning and then we can walk to class after my shift again? If you’re busy it’s fine you just seem nice and it’d be nice to get to know you some more.”

Edie let a slight smile appear on her face, as she tried to hide how irrationally excited the idea of someone wanting to spend time with her, making a new friend, made her. “I’ll be there. Thank you. For offering I mean.”

“Edie, you don’t need to thank me. I want to get to know you better silly.” Dorothea did that smile again. That damn smile that Edie wished she could ever be good enough to deserve being smiled at like that. Fuck she was being dramatic. She should try to work on that. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edie goes home and panics to her roommate Bernadetta.

“Bernie! Bernie! Bernie! Open the door the world is falling apart!”

“Hi Edie.” Her roommate opened the door. 

“Hi are you free, like I said the world is falling apart.”

“Em Marianne is here but you can come in if you need to.”

Marianne was her roommate’s best friend. The two of them liked to sit in silence together according to Bernie. Edie had once, in a complete breach of privacy motivated by unbearable curiosity, listened in on them and yes the two just played a true crime podcast and sat in near total silence for three hours. At one point Marianne had mentioned something about a horse she had at home but that was literally the only conversation the two of them had. Edie didn’t get it but if they were happy she was happy for them. 

Bernie opened the door and invited Edie inside. 

“Hey Marianne.” Edie smiled at her. Marianne looked up at her for a moment, not making eye contact. She had dyed her hair blue since Edie had last seen her. So had Bernie actually. Marianne’s hair was a lighter shade but they were both still very blue. Huh.

“Hi Edie.” Marianne resumed her staring at her hands.

“You guys’ hair is nice. Coincidence?” Edie asked.

Bernie smiled bashfully, before looking away, then making herself return her gaze to Edie.

“We’re matching. Well we tried to but my hair started out, well you saw it, it was brown and well it made the blue quite dark.”

“It suits you though.” Edie said. “Anyway I’m spiralling. A lot. I met a girl today and she’s just a lot better than me and I don’t want her to hate me and she wants me to meet her tomorrow morning to hang out and then walk to class and I don’t know what to do I look terrible and all my clothes are bad and I’m not fun to be around and Hubert has already intimidated her and aaaaa.”

“You should go to therapy Edie, I think you really need it.” Bernie was being sincere here. Not helpful, but very sincere.

“I’m middle class Bernie I already go to plenty of therapy.”

“Darn I should have thought of that. We can help you get ready for tomorrow then. Is that ok Marianne?”

Marianne nodded. Edie wasn’t entirely sure where she stood with her but she assumed Marianne didn’t hate her too much if she was agreeing to help her. 

“Ok so where should we start, how am I going to survive this?”

“You need to relax about it a little Edie. Trust me, I know from anything I tried to be friends with… well anyone, the most important thing is doing your best to minimise the whole ‘they hate me so much and want to kill me’ spiral.” Bernie told her, putting her hand on Edie’s shoulder. 

Marianne nodded. “Yeah when Bernie and I became friends we both thought that the other one hated us for about a month because neither of us never said much. Turns out we’re just quiet!” She said, showing an uncharacteristic amount of enthusiasm.

“Ok you’re right. If she asked me to hang out she probably doesn’t hate me. I just have to keep it that way.” Edie almost believed it. Almost.

“That’s a start. Ok so what’s stressing you out the most about tomorrow.” 

“So she’s like very put together. She seems to know what’s going on all the time. She dresses nice and has good hair and makeup and she likes music so she’s studying music because she likes it and she’s good at it. She plays like four instruments and can sing? My biggest achievement this week was showering there’s no way I can seem to have my shit together like that? I'm so useless and she's so ridiculously capable.” Edie just word vomited. She just kept talking and insecurities she had no intention of sharing came out. Like the showering? She didn’t want Bernie to know that, how disgusting would she find her now. 

Somehow, Bernie didn’t seem as disgusted as Edie had expected. She hugged Edie, which caught her very off guard, Bernie had never seemed to be the hugging type. It was nice though, it felt very warm and relieved her fear of judgement somewhat. Bernie didn’t find her disgusting. It was ok. She felt something wet against her neck.

“Bernie are you crying?” Edie was confused. 

“I just want you to be ok. Edie everyone does. Literally everyone likes you even Ferdinand. You’re so kind, you made sure I was able to get to campus for the first month at least and you remember how hard that was. This girl is going to want to be friends with you regardless of how put together you look or how hard you find things You're amazing Edie. But also if it helps, Marianne and I can help you get ready for tomorrow.”

Bernie wiped her eyes as she said this but now it was Edie’s turn to cry. Choked up tears that she didn’t even realise she had in her, and that she had no idea how long she had been holding back. Bernie just hugged her even tighter. She didn’t even know why she was crying. Nothing bad had happened, but here she was ugly crying into her roommate’s shoulder. Her roommate who she hadn’t thought would ever care about her. But here they were. Bernie actually cared. She cared to let her cry for what must have been at least ten minutes and just keep hugging her until she felt ok. 

“Thank you Bernie. And you too Marianne, sorry you had to watch all of this.”

“It’s ok. We’ve all cried here.” Marianne didn’t look up but Edie still knew she was just being sincere.

“She’s right you know. My room has seen a lot of crying. We watched Marriage Story last week. Had a girls night. There were two girls. Wanna come to the next one actually? We can have three girls.” Bernie gave Edie an extra tight squeeze and then released her from the hug.

“Yeah that sounds nice actually. Let me know when.” Edie still felt on the verge of tears but was also really happy. It’ll be nice to get - to get the chance to know you better.” Marianne looked up at her for long enough to smile, then looked down and continued. “Do you feel able to get back to getting ready for tomorrow?”

Edie nodded.

“Ok so would you like me to do your hair Edie? I can’t do anything fancy but you’ve told me before that you found that really hard and it might make you feel nicer about yourself if I did that? And then we can pick you out something to wear that’ll make you feel confident. And then we can talk or listen to podcasts or whatever you need to do to feel calm. We can take as long as you need.”

Edie smiled again. “That sounds really nice.”

“Great!” Bernie grinned. “Will we play a podcast while I brush your hair? We’re catching up on Crime Junkie. It’s so good you’d love it.”

Edie was still emotional but Bernie’s enthusiasm for death podcasts made her laugh a little.

“Sure Bernie. We can listen to whatever you want.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes Marianne is here great foreshadowing for the inevitable appearance of Dorte.  
> But also actually this chapter was harder to write in places than the others so far what with the actual human emotions but I'm very happy with how it turned out so I hope you like it.


End file.
